Adhesive bandages are commonly found in most households for consumer use to cover a wound. As used herein and throughout, the term “wound” means and refers to a cut, abrasion, laceration, bruise, blister, hangnail, paper cut, burn, or skin puncture caused by a diagnostic procedure involving a needle or pin stick of a digit, or to infectious conditions (i.e., contamination of cellulose tissue of a nail on a digit) or similarly related injury to the skin as the wound heals. The bandage protects the wound against dirt and other contaminants that can cause further infection. Moreover, it has been recognized that covering and protecting the wound area from further injury promotes rapid healing of the wound.
The most common adhesive bandages on the marketplace are generally rectangular in shape. Such bandages typically have a centralized padded region that contacts with the wound and an adhesive area on either side of the padded area for securing the bandage to the skin of the wounded person.
These known flat bandages appear to work well on relative flat body parts but are not well suited for use on rounded or multiple curved body parts such as the tips of fingers and toes, which flex and move. As is well known, when a flat bandage is applied over or around a tip of a finger or toe, excess material associated with the bandage tends to wrinkle and crimp, creating openings and gaps in protection and tends to fall off. Moreover, the excess material that inevitably results when a flat bandage is fitted about multiple curved body parts, such as the tips of fingers and toes, tends to protrude away from the skin, thus leaving an avenue of exposure for the introduction of germs and/or related contaminants. With parts of the bandage protruding away from the skin, the bandage's seal around and about the wound is compromised and the wound remains exposed. Additionally, and unless located relative to the wound with proper care, adhesive areas on the flat bandage can interfere with healing and thereby exacerbate the existing wound being covered. Furthermore, those parts of the bandage protruding away from the skin hinder use of the bandaged finger for operations requiring dexterity, such as typing, computer inputting, and related tasks involving common use of a person's fingers. As will be appreciated, and partly because of tight fitting shoes, pain, discomfort or blistering often result when parts of the bandage protrude away from the skin on a person's toe.
For these and other reasons, there is a continuing need and desire for an apparatus for covering and protecting a wound to a tip of a person's finger/toe.